Ilex plant named ‘Scarlet&#39;s Peak’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Ilex  plant named ‘Scarlet&#39;s Peak’, characterized by its upright and fastigiate plant form; dense and bushy growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Ilex vomitoria.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Scarlet's Peak’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ilex,botanically known as Ilex vomitoria, commercially known as Yaupon Hollyand hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Scarlet's Peak’.

The new Ilex is the product of a chance open-pollination of an unnamedselection of Ilex vomitoria, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with an unknown selection of Ilex vomitoria as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Ilex plant was discovered and selected by theInventor in July, 2005 from within the resulting progeny from the statedopen-pollination in a controlled outdoor nursery environment inPerkinston, Miss. The selection of the new Ilex was based on itsfastigiate plant form.

Asexual reproduction of the new Ilex plant by stem cuttings inPerkinston, Miss. since October, 2005 has shown that the unique featuresof this new Ilex plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Ilex have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and/or light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Scarlet's Peak’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Scarlet's Peak’ as a new and distinctcultivar of Ilex:

-   -   1. Upright and fastigiate plant form.    -   2. Dense and bushy growth habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Ilex can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Ilex differ from plants of the femaleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Ilex are more upright and fastigiate than        plants of the female parent selection.    -   2. Young stems of plants of the new Ilex are thinner and more        flexible than young stems of plants of the female parent        selection.

Plants of the new Ilex can be compared to the plants of Ilex vomitoria‘Will Flemming’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inPerkinston, Miss., plants of the new Ilex differed from plants of ‘WillFlemming’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Ilex were more fastigiate in plant form        than plants of ‘Will Flemming’.    -   2. Plants of the new Ilex had stronger stems than plants of        ‘Will Flemming’.    -   3. Plants of the new Ilex produced only female flowers whereas        plants of ‘Will Flemming’ produced only male flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Ilex. These photographs show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Ilex.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Scarlet's Peak’ grown in a container in an outdoornursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical leavesand developing fruits of ‘Scarlet's Peak’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Perkinston, Miss. in an outdoornursery and under commercial production conditions. During theproduction of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 7° C. to 37° C.and night temperatures ranged from −9° C. to 20° C. Plants used for thephotographs and description had been growing for three years. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Ilex vomitoria ‘Scarlet's Peak’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Ilex            vomitoria, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Ilex            vomitoria, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By stem cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About four weeks at            temperatures of 30° C. to 35° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven weeks at            temperatures of 12° C. to 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two            months at temperatures of 30° C. to 35° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About four            months at temperatures of 12° C. to 18° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; white in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial evergreen shrub;            upright and fastigiate plant form.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit; dense and bushy            growh habit with numerous lateral branches developing per            plant.        -   Plant height.—About 3 meters.        -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 30 cm to 45 cm.            Diameter: About 8.2 mm to 13.3 mm. Internode length: About            5.2 mm to 11.7 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, young stems: Close to 59A. Color,            mature stems: Close to 199A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 23.1 mm to 25.5 mm. Width: About 9.5 mm to 11.9 mm.            Shape: Oblong to ovate. Apex: Bluntly acute. Base: Obtuse.            Margin: Serrulate. Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:            Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A. Developing            leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully expanded leaves,            upper surface: Close to 147A; venation, close to 147A. Fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,            close to 147B. Petiole: Length: About 2.7 mm to 3.1 mm.            Diameter: About 0.7 mm to 1.1 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:            Close to 147A to 147B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and appearance.—Single cruciform flowers            arranged in fascicles of three.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Ilex typically            flower during the spring in Mississippi.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last several days on            the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower diameter.—About 4 mm.        -   Flower depth.—About 2 mm.        -   Flower bud.—Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Shape: Spherical. Color: Close to 155D.        -   Petals.—Arrangement: Single cruciform flower form; single            whorl of four petals fused at the base. Length: About 2 mm.            Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Oblong. Apex: Rounded. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            waxy. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:            Close to 155D. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:            Close to 155D.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Four fused in a single whorl; calyx,            campanulate. Length: About 0.7 mm. Width: About 0.9 mm.            Shape: Awl-shaped. Apex: Acute. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; waxy. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 145B to 145C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.            Angle: About 45° from lateral branch axis. Strength: Strong,            flexible. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 145B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: No male reproductive            structures observed. Gynoecium: Pistil length: About 1.5 mm.            Stigma shape: Blunted. Stigma color: Close to 145B. Style            length: About 1 mm. Style color: Close to 145B. Ovary color:            Close to 145B.        -   Fruits.—Quantity per plant: About 20 to 35 per lateral            branch. Length: About 5.7 mm. Diameter: About 5.7 mm.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color, immature: Close to 144A.            Color, mature: Close to 44B.        -   Seeds.—Quantity per fruit: About four. Length: About 4.8 mm.            Diameter: About 2.3 mm.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Ilex have been observed to    have good garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about −15° C. to about 38° C.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants have not been observed to be    resistant to pathogens and pests common to Ilex.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ilex plant named ‘Scarlet's Peak’ asillustrated and described.